‘The real face behind progressive reforms’ – In March the theocratic kingdom sparked an international outcry when it executed a record 81 inmates in a single day
Saudi authorities executed twice as many people in 2022 as in 2021, mostly for offenses related to terrorism and drug trafficking, according to an AFP tally.
An absolute monarchy, Saudi Arabia has since 1992 used a constitution-like fundamental law based on sharia, Islamic law.
Murder, rape, armed robbery, witchcraft, adultery, sodomism, homosexuality and apostasy are punishable by death.
Saudi authorities do not specify the methods used to carry out executions, but the kingdom usually executes by beheading.
138 executions since the beginning of 2022
On Thursday night, Saudi Arabia’s official news agency announced the execution of a Jordanian national for illegally trafficking a quantity of amphetamine capsules, bringing the total number of executions since the beginning of the year to 138.
In 2021, 69 people were executed in the kingdom — by contrast, the use of the death penalty had plummeted in 2020 with 27 executions. In 2019, 187 executions took place.
Last November, two Pakistani men were executed for heroin trafficking, the first execution for such crimes in nearly three years.
Also in March, Saudi Arabia caused an international outcry when it executed a record 81 people in a single day for terrorism-related offences.
“The real face behind progressive reforms”
These executions “violate” the moratorium announced by the Saudi Human Rights Commission in January 2021 on the death penalty for drug-related offences, Amnesty International said in a press release released last week.
“This dramatic escalation in the country’s use of the death penalty this year reveals the true face of the Saudi authorities behind the so-called progressive reform agenda they present to the world,” said Diana Shemaan, deputy director of the Middle East bureau. and North Africa of Amnesty International.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
